Forum:Will a Jem Reboot Work?
---- This a time for '80s cartoon reboots -- from the epic (sadly sort-lived, and not so "homoerotic") '02 He-Man series, to the awesome new Thundercats show. The movie reboots have largely been a big burning bag of suck. The newer animated series on the other hand have been mostly good. Hell, when a good chunk of My Little Ponies: Friendship is Magic fans are boys (or "Bronies"), that says something! It don't always work, as there have been a lot negative reviews of G.I.Joe Renegades for various reasons (hated the art style, hated the changes, being too much like the movie, got spilled with Resolute, etc.). In the case of Jem and the Holograms, this was a show of the times: '80s styles, '80s glam rock, '80s clichés, '80s EVERYTHING! Its hard to imagine a Jem reboot divorced of the '80s -- hell, it would not "feel" like Jem! If one want to watch a contemporary version of Jem, then watch Hannah Montana (same premise, but with younger players and a lot more bland). Unfortunately, not everyone likes the '80s; being from a personal annoyance or that era, or are too young to care, but that's them. Although, how would one make an '80s-styled show without it becoming just a running joke? Its not easy, as the '80s was full of ironic jokes! Imagine Rio and Jerrica are sharing a float or sundae, with Rio feeding the ice cream to Jerrica, when the hot-head suddenly gets mad at something she said or did and throws the spoon into her mouth. Then she says, *cough* *cough* "You..! You..! ...gag me with a spoon!" Yes its funny... at first. Then it gets really old if the show only focuses on such jokes. It could work if the jokes are keep at a minimum, and is largely subtle. The reboot could benefit from better music, as the music from the original show was repetitive and mediocre -- even for the time. Ideally - if it is maintaining a retro-theme - it would be nice to have the music "in the style" of the '80s, as something that sounds too contemporary (like the "talk box" or "pitch correction" effect found in most songs these days) would ruin the feel of the show. The drama could be a little more mature, with sexual subtext and innuendos (hell, the old G.I.Joe cartoon had this in spades), positive traits and questionable behavior on both sides (casting each side as wholesome or rotten makes for some really bland characters), deal with heavy subject matter without turning to a preachy PSA, and have the characters deal with consequences (this actually helps character development). I'm not suggesting that this becomes something like Perfect Blue, but young viewers have become much more savvy over the years. Maintaining story-arcs and throwing-out some "wham episodes" to build drama and suspense would be nice -- if not abused. Like any reboot, it could work if handed right. So what do everyone else think? Not just my ideas, but what are your ideas on a Jem reboot? Malcadon 06:21, December 16, 2011 (UTC) ----